Because of his metaphoric and narrative style, artist John Wallace has been coined a storyteller — and his bold, original paintings have captivated art audiences for more than five decades.

From Feb. 17 through March 10, 2011, Wallace, a former art professor, exhibited his paintings at the university’s Higgins Gallery.

“John Wallace has been an inspiration and a mentor to generations of students at WCSU,” said Western Professor of Art Margaret Grimes, describing his paintings as ambitious and stunningly original. She said the artist’s more recent works “blend astronomical, astrological and mythological elements in an expression of the infinite and spirituality.”

Wallace, who received a B.F.A. from Washington University and an M.F.A. from Indiana University, taught at Western from 1982 through 2009 and was co-coordinator of the M.F.A. program from 2000 thru 2009. He also studied at Skowhegan, where he received a Margaret Tiffany Blake fellowship for creating a fresco in the choir loft of the South Solon Meeting House, which is now a historic landmark. He is also the recipient of a Huntingdon Hartford Fellowship and a Roswell Museum Fellowship. He passed away on April 15, 2011.